www.amt.edu.au

amt.edfinity.com 1

AMC: Australian Mathematics Competition

Manager’s Handbook

A guide for running 2017 Online AMC

www.amt.edu.au

amt.edfinity.com 2

Contents

About the AMC

Competition site: amt.edfinity.com

Competition date

Contact us

Using this handbook

How the competition works

Registering for the competition at amt.edfinity.com

Student registration Preparing for the competition (please read carefully)

System requirements

Competition Preview

Room requirements

Handling multiple groups of students

Selecting competition supervisors

Scribble sheets

After the competition

Manager checklist

Supervisor instructions

Understanding the competition codes (please read carefully)

Before the competition

Competition day, after students are seated Registering students at www.amt.edfinity.com Starting the competition During the competition

Finishing the competition

www.amt.edu.au

amt.edfinity.com 3

About the AMC

The AMC is for students of all standards. There are 30 problems to solve in 60 minutes

(primary) or 75 minutes (secondary). The earliest problems are very easy. All students should

be able to attempt them. The problems get progressively more difficult until the end, when they

are challenging to the most gifted student. Students of all standards will make progress and

find a point of challenge.

Competition site: amt.edfinity.com The Online AMC competition site is located at amt.edfinity.com

Competition date

Thursday 27 July 2017

There will be a 36­hour window to sit the Online AMC between 7 am Thursday 27 July

and 7 pm Friday 28 July AEST. This is to assist schools with limited access to

computers, and those in different time zones.

Duration: The actual competition takes 60 minutes for primary and 75 minutes for

secondary. Please allow additional time for student registration and competition

administration.

Note that there may be some randomisation of questions to maintain the integrity of the

contest.

After the competition, the manager should complete the online certification form (link on

page 14).

Sitting the Online AMC on an earlier date will not be possible.

Contact us

by email amc@amt.edu.au

by phone (02) 6201 5136 (within Australia)

+61 2 6201 5136 (from outside Australia)

by mail Australian Mathematics Trust

University of Canberra Locked Bag 1

Canberra GPO ACT 2601

Australia

www.amt.edu.au

amt.edfinity.com 4

Using this handbook

This handbook is intended for use by schools who are conducting the Online AMC. It covers all of

the information that a school competition manager will need to ensure a successful competition.

It can also be found online at amt.edfinity.com/help

How the competition works

Here is a high-level walkthrough of how the competition works.

The school competition manager registers student

numbers for the competition on behalf of a school,

and pays the appropriate entry fees for the

competition and/or GetSet courses.

See Registering for the

competition.

The manager ensures that the competition

prerequisites have been met, and that everyone

involved with the competition is adequately prepared.

See Preparing for the

competition and Manager

checklist.

The manager with the help of other supervisors (if

required) oversees the running of the competition in a

controlled environment according to competition

guidelines.

See Supervisor instructions.

When award cut­offs are determined and the

competition results are released by AMT, students

can log in to see the questions, answers and their

scores.

Registering for the competition at amt.edfinity.com A manager is a school administrator or educator responsible for conducting the competition. To

register students, a manager will need their AMT school code and password, as distributed to

the school at the beginning of every year. Managers enter student numbers for the competition

and pay the appropriate entry fees for the competition and/or GetSet courses.

After an order is placed, the manager will receive an email with important information. Note that

all of this information is also available on the competition website.

1. GetSet AMC access codes (if applicable), one for each division, to be distributed to

students immediately so that they may register and start preparing for the competition.

www.amt.edu.au

amt.edfinity.com 5

In addition to preparing students effectively, GetSet provides a simulation of the online

competition experience.

2. Activation codes, used by a supervisor to start the competition. See Supervisor instructions for information on the use of this code.

An activation code will work for any competition session run by the school, across

multiple divisions. If you have multiple groups of students sitting for the competition

at different times, you will need one activation code for each group. See Handling

multiple groups of students for how to obtain extra activation codes.

3. One administration code, used by a supervisor to add time to a student’s timer during

the competition if a computer malfunction or other serious event occurs. This code

should be kept private, and given only to trusted supervisors. See Supervisor

instructions for more information on the use of this code.

Student registration

Students register individually for the Online AMC on the day of the competition.

1. The registration process should take no more than five minutes.

2. Students will be asked to create an account (or sign up) and provide some personal

information. They will then enter their school code, and their competition division and

year level.

Preparing for the competition (please read carefully)

System requirements

The online competition application is cloud­based and only requires broadband connectivity and

an internet browser. There is no software installation required.

1. Internet access Schools often block access to unknown sites, so ensure that your

school network allows access to the locations found at

https://amt.edfinity.com/about/sysadmin

2. Device Students may use a desktop, laptop or handheld device but not a mobile phone.

3. Browser JavaScript and cookies must be enabled in your browser. We strongly

recommend one of the following browsers for an optimal experience: IE 9+, Firefox 31+,

Chrome 31+, Safari 7+, iOS Safari 7.1, Opera 26+, or Android Browser 4.3+.

A Systems Requirement Check to test for online school access and device compatibility is available on the Help page amt.edfinity.com/help

www.amt.edu.au

amt.edfinity.com 6

Competition Preview An end­to­end simulation of the competition process is available on the Help page

amt.edfinity.com/help

Room requirements The competition should be conducted in a quiet area under supervision. The following should be

made available:

1. desks, chairs, and computers or tablets with internet access (one device per student)

2. ample supply of pencils and scrap paper

3. calculators (optional) for primary levels only, but not on an internet­connected calculator

4. whiteboard or blackboard, and a clock visible to all students (optional, but

recommended).

Handling multiple groups of students Each manager receives a number of activation codes when they enter the competition.

Normally just one activation code is required per session of students sitting at the same time.

In case of a computer malfunction, where a student needs to restart, an extra activation code

may be useful. To view available activation codes or to obtain additional activation codes, a

manager can do the following:

1. Log in to the competition website with your five­digit AMT school code and password.

2. Click on your school name in the top-right corner and select Assessment Supervision from the drop-down menu. This will display current codes.

3. To generate more codes, click on the ‘Create’ button.

4. Copy the resulting activation codes and give them to the appropriate supervisor.

5. Repeat as necessary.

Unlike activation codes, each supervisor can use the SAME administration code.

Additional administration codes do not need to be generated.

Selecting competition supervisors An authorised supervisor may be a competition manager, or any other staff member authorised

to supervise the competition. Students are NOT permitted to supervise the AMC under any

circumstance.

1. One supervisor per 40 or fewer students is required.

2. A supervisor must supervise students for the duration of the online competition to ensure

‘fair play’ by all the students.

www.amt.edu.au

amt.edfinity.com 7

3. Supervisors use the activation and administration codes obtained from their manager

to start the competition and deal with unexpected issues on a case­by­case basis.

They should bring a mobile phone in case it is necessary to contact the AMT. While

not essential, a computer may be useful if extra activation codes are required.

4. Review Supervisor instructions for guidelines on how a supervisor should conduct the

competition. This document should be photocopied, completed, and distributed to each

supervisor.

5. It is strongly recommended that you meet with supervisors at least once before the

competition to go over the entire competition process.

Scribble sheets

Scribble sheets are diagrams and figures from the actual competition papers to assist

students. They will be made available to managers for download a few days prior to the

competition at amt.edfinity.com/help. Sign in with your 5­digit AMT school code and

password. Print these sheets (one set for each student in each division of the

competition) and keep them in a secure place. Distribute them to supervisors to give to

the students on the day of the competition.

After the competition

The AMT determines award cut­off scores after results (both online and paper) from a significant

proportion of students have been processed. After competition results are released by AMT,

students can log in to see the questions, answers and their scores on the competition site.

www.amt.edu.au

amt.edfinity.com 8

Manager checklist

1. Register for the competition and optional GetSet AMC courses.

2. Confirm receipt of your email containing competition information.

3. If you have purchased GetSet courses, distribute the access codes to your

students and encourage them to register and get started.

4. Identify supervisors for the competition. See Selecting competition supervisors

for more information. For each supervisor, fill out and distribute a copy of

Supervisor instructions for their careful review.

Name

Class

Location

Time

5. Confirm compliance with system and room requirements in every room. See Preparing for the competition for more information.

6. Meet with supervisors before the competition to go over the process. Review the

online competition process using the ‘Competition Preview’ at amt.edfinity.com/help

7. One week prior to the competition, display reminder notices advising students of

the competition date and time and advising staff of supervisor arrangements.

8. A few days before the competition, print and distribute scribble sheets to

supervisors. See Scribble sheets for more information.

9. After the competition, complete the online certification form at

http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/tbQU2fcVDAk4ufpCbs5ed8

www.amt.edu.au

amt.edfinity.com 9

Supervisor instructions

Competition URL: amt.edfinity.com

Supervisor’s name

Class Location

Start time Competition duration is 60 minutes for primary

and 75 minutes for secondary. Please allow

additional time for registration.

AMT school code (5­digit)

Activation codes

Administration code

www.amt.edu.au

amt.edfinity.com 10

As a supervisor, it is your responsibility to ensure that the competition is conducted in

accordance with the guidelines below in order to preserve the integrity of the competition.

Understanding the competition codes (please read carefully)

Activation code

(private until start of

competition)

When you are ready to start the competition, you will give a single

activation code to all the students and they will enter it on the competition

site to begin. This will activate the online competition timer. Please keep

this code private until you are ready to start.

The activation code is only valid for 30 minutes from the time of its first

use. If you are supervising another group of students more than 30

minutes later, ask your manager for a new activation code. Or in the

case of a computer malfunction where a student needs a restart, use the

extra activation code.

Administration code

(private)

Use the administration code to add time to a student’s timer if a

computer malfunction or other serious event occurs. This is a private

code and should NEVER be given to students.

Before the competition Competition URL: amt.edfinity.com

1. Collect scribble sheets, one set per student (different for each division) from

your competition manager. Place them face down on each desk.

2. Ensure there is an adequate supply of spare pens or pencils and scrap paper.

3. Provide a safe place to store students’ mobile phones.

4. Arrange the desks so that no student can see the computer screen of another student in

the same division.

5. Write the competition URL and the 5­digit AMT school code on a whiteboard.

Browser Requirements: JavaScript and cookies must be enabled in your browser. We strongly

recommend one of the following browsers for an optimal experience: IE 9+, Firefox 31+,

Chrome 31+, Safari 7+, iOS Safari 7.1, Opera 26+, or Android Browser 4.3+.

Competition day, after students are seated Check that each student

1. has a pen or pencil, scribble sheet and access to scrap paper 2. has not brought a mobile phone to their desk 3. has not brought aids other than a hand calculator (primary only), or language dictionary

(check for loose page or inserts) 4. has the competition URL only open and no other window

www.amt.edu.au

amt.edfinity.com 11

Registering students at amt.edfinity.com Before giving students the activation code to begin the competition, you should ensure that every

student in the room is registered and ready.

1. Each student should have his or her browser open at the competition URL.

2. Each student registers with an email address (or username) and password. If they have

used GetSet, they may already have an account. If forgotten, or a new user, enter new

details. NB If a student has recently used GetSet and not logged out, they will need to log

out before registering for the competition.

www.amt.edu.au

amt.edfinity.com 12

3. Students enter name, birth date and other details. Assist students as necessary

to enter the required information.

4. Students enter the five­digit AMT school code, competition division and their

school year (imperative for marking). Check that the school name is correct. NB

Certificates are printed with each student’s name, school and school year as

entered. If the school year is not completed correctly, their competition answers

will NOT be marked.

www.amt.edu.au

amt.edfinity.com 13

5. Students will then be asked to verify this information.

6. The competition start page appears. Students check their login name in top-right

corner is correct, or log out and start again. Supervisors read the instructions

aloud.

www.amt.edu.au

amt.edfinity.com 14

Starting the competition

Start the competition by giving out the activation code to students. Each student should

enter it under their school name on the screen to begin. The competition will close off

automatically 60 minutes (primary) or 75 minutes (secondary) after they have entered

the code.

During the competition

1. Please ensure that examination conditions are maintained. Supervisors will need to be

vigilant that students are not accessing any windows other than the competition site.

Record and report any breach of regulations to the AMT office.

2. Any student who experiences a serious computer malfunction during the competition can

alert the supervisor, who can override the timer on that individual computer if they

believe this is justified. This can be done using the administration code by clicking on the

‘Supervisor Access’ link on right side of the student’s screen.

Important: If you use the administration code, you must keep it secret from

students. Additionally, be sure to indicate that you do NOT want to save this

password if prompted by the student’s browser.

3. If a student wishes to leave the room, a supervisor must accompany the student;

otherwise, the student will not be re­admitted.

4. Ensure no student leaves the competition area until the last student has finished.

Finishing the competition

The competition will finish automatically when time has elapsed. There is nothing else required.

The manager should complete the online certification form at

http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/tbQU2fcVDAk4ufpCbs5ed8